Information recording/reproduction apparatus having hard disk device incorporated therein

ABSTRACT

A DVD recorder includes a control portion operating in response to a signal received via a monitor portion from a temperature sensor provided internal to a casing of a hard disk device. If the temperature sensor senses temperature of at least 65° C. the control portion turns on a cooling fan device. If temperature T is lower than 65° C. the control portion turns off the cooling fan device. As the temperature sensor that is previously provided in the hard disk device can be utilized to control the cooling fan device, the apparatus can be less costly than that provided with a separate, dedicated temperature sensor, as conventional.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to informationrecording/reproduction apparatuses and particularly to informationrecording/reproduction apparatuses that employ an exchangeable opticaldisk and an incorporated hard disk device to record/reproduceinformation.

2. Description of the Background Art

Conventionally DVD recorders (information recording/reproductionapparatuses) generate heat for example at a mechanism causing an opticaldisk to rapidly rotate, an incorporated hard disk device, and the like.In order to prevent a casing from internally having excessivelyincreased temperature and thus increase the apparatus in life andreliability, the temperature in the casing is sensed with a temperaturesensor and a cooling fan device is controlled in accordance with aresult of the sensing (see for example Japanese Patent Laying-Open No.2002-324391).

To do so, however, conventional DVD recorders are provided with atemperature sensor dedicated to sensing the temperature in the casing.As such, they are costly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore mainly contemplates a less costlyinformation recording/reproduction apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention an informationrecording/reproduction apparatus employs an exchangeable optical diskand an incorporated hard disk device to record/reproduce information,the hard disk device including an optical disk, a first write/readportion writing/reading a data signal to/from the optical disk, atemperature sensor sensing temperature in a casing of the hard diskdevice, and a monitor portion outputting a first signal indicating aresult of sensing by the temperature sensor and a second signalindicating how many times writing the data signal is retried, theinformation recording/reproduction apparatus including: a secondwrite/read portion writing/reading a data signal to/from the opticaldisk; a cooling fan device for cooling an interior of the casing of theinformation recording/reproduction apparatus; and a control portionreceiving the first and second signals output from the hard disk deviceto drive the cooling fan device when the second signal indicates thatwriting the data signal is retried more than a predetermined number oftimes after the first signal indicates a temperature exceeding apredetermined temperature.

In the present information recording/reproduction apparatus the harddisk device outputs a first signal indicating a result of sensing by anincorporated temperature sensor and a second signal indicating how manytimes writing the data signal is retired and the control portion drivesa cooling fan device when the second signal indicates that writing thedata signal is retried more than a predetermined number of times afterthe first signal indicates a temperature exceeding a predeterminedtemperature. As the cooling fan device can be controlled as based on asignal output from the hard disk device, a separately provided,dedicated temperature sensor can be dispensed with and reduced cost canbe achieved. Furthermore, as the cooling fan device can be driven whentemperature exceeds a predetermined temperature and a retry countexceeding a predetermined number of times is reached, the cooling fandevice can be driven when an effect of an increase in temperaturemanifests. The power otherwise wastefully consumed can thus be saved.

The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of the present invention when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main portion of a DVD recorder in afirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for illustrating an operation of a controlportion shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for illustrating an exemplary variation of thefirst embodiment.

FIG. 4 represents a relationship between the temperature of the harddisk device shown in FIG. 1 and retry count.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for illustrating an operation of a controlportion of a DVD recorder in a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for illustrating an exemplary variation of thesecond embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main portion of a DVD recorder in afirst embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1 the DVD recorderincludes a hard disk device 1, an optical disk 6, a write/read portion7, an operation portion 8, a cooling fan device 9, and a control portion10.

Hard disk device 1 is a commercially available as a discrete componentincluding a casing in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped (notshown), and a magnetic disk 2, a write/read portion 3, a temperaturesensor 4 and a monitor portion 5 accommodated in the casing.

Write/read portion 3 includes a spindle motor rotatably driving opticaldisk 2, a head that performs a write/a read, a head actuator having thehead mounted thereto, a voice coil motor driving the head actuator, aCPU controlling them, and the like. Write/read portion 3 operates inresponse to a variety of control signals received from control portion10 and monitor portion 5 to write to optical disk 2 a data signalprovided via control portion 10 and also read from optical disk 2 andprovide to control portion 10 a data signal of an address designated bycontrol portion 10.

Temperature sensor 4 senses temperature in the casing of hard diskdevice 1 at a predetermined location and provides to monitor portion 5 asignal indicating the sensed temperature. Monitor portion 5 monitors thesignal received from temperature sensor 4, an operation of write/readportion 3, and the like, and in accordance with a result of themonitoring controls a condition for the operation of write/read portion3 and also provides to control portion 10 a signal indicating the resultof the monitoring. The signal indicating the result of the monitoringincludes a signal indicating the temperature sensed by temperaturesensor 4, a signal indicating how many times write/read portion 3retries to write a data signal.

Optical disk 6 is provided to be readily exchangeable by a user, andincludes a DVD-RAM (repeatedly readable and writable), a DVD-R (writeonce), a DVD-RW (repetitively rewritable) and the like.

Write/read portion 7 includes a spindle motor rotatably driving opticaldisk 6, an optical pickup performing a write/a read, a feeding motormoving the optical pickup, and the like. Write/read portion 7 operatesin response to a variety of control signals received from controlportion 10 to write to optical disk 6 a data signal provided via controlportion 10 and also read from optical disk 6 and provide to controlportion 10 a data signal of an address designated by control portion 10.

Operation portion 8 includes a variety of keys operated to performrecording, reproduction, rewinding, fast-forwarding, programming ofrecording, and the like, and provides to control portion 10 a signalindicating a key operated by a user. Cooling fan device 9 is providedinternal to the casing of the DVD recorder and includes a fan, a motorfor rotating the fan, a drive portion driving the motor, and the like.Cooling fan device 9 is controlled by control portion 10 to ventilatethe interior of the casing of the DVD recorder and also send cold air toa heat generating portion to prevent temperature from increasing.

Control portion 10 operates in response to a signal received fromoperation portion 8 to write/read a data signal to/from hard disk device1 and also write/read a data signal to/from optical disk 6 torecord/reproduce a video image or the like. Employing hard disk device1, which is large in capacity and high in speed, for performing long,time-shift recording, and employing optical disk 6, which isexchangeable, to record a program that a user desires to store for along period of time, allow the merits of both hard disk device 1 andoptical disk 6 to be both exploited.

Furthermore control portion 10 controls cooling fan device 9 in responseto a signal provided from temperature sensor 4 via monitor portion 5 andindicating the temperature internal to the casing of hard disk device 1.More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, control portion 10 at step S1determines whether a temperature T sensed by temperature sensor 4 is atleast 65° C. and if so control portion 10 proceeds to step S2 to turn oncooling fan device 9 to start to send air to a heat generating portion.If temperature T sensed is lower than 65° C. then control portion 10proceeds to step S3 to turn off cooling fan device 9 to stop sending airto the heat generating portion.

This can prevent excessively increased temperature in the casing of theDVD recorder to increase and enhance the apparatus in life andreliability, respectively. Furthermore, as cooling fan device 9 can becontrolled as based on the temperature sensed by temperature sensor 4provided internal to hard disk device 1 commercially available, theapparatus can be less costly than that provided with a temperaturesensor dedicated for sensing the temperature internal to the casing, asconventional.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for illustrating an exemplary variation of thefirst embodiment. In this exemplary variation, control portion 10controls cooling fan device 9 in accordance with a signal provided fromtemperature sensor 4 via monitor portion 5 and indicating thetemperature in the casing of hard disk device 1 and a signal providedfrom monitor portion 5 and indicating a retry count. More specifically,control portion 10 at step S11 determines whether temperature T sensedby temperature sensor 4 is at least 65° C. and if so control portion 10proceeds to step S12 to determine whether the current retry count is atleast a predetermined number of times N and if so control portion 10proceeds to step S13 to turn on cooling fan device 9 to start to sendair to a heat generating portion. If at step S11 temperature T as sensedis lower than 65° C. or at step S12 the current retry count is smallerthan the predetermined number of times N then control portion 10proceeds to step S14 to turn off cooling fan device 9 to stop sendingair to the heat generating portion.

This exemplary variation can achieve the same effect as the firstembodiment and also allows cooling fan device 9 to be turned on when aneffect of an increase in temperature manifests in the form of anincreased retry count. The power otherwise wastefully consumed can thusbe saved.

Note that FIG. 4 represents a correlation between the temperature ofhard disk device 1 as measured and retry count. It can be seen from FIG.4 that retry count rapidly increases when the temperature of hard diskdevice 1 it exceeds a temperature (in FIG. 4, 65° C.).

Second Embodiment

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for illustrating an operation of control portion10 of a DVD recorder in a second embodiment of the present invention.The DVD recorder has a configuration identical to that shown in FIG. 1.In FIG. 5 control portion 10 controls cooling fan device 9 and the DVDrecorder in response to a signal provided from temperature sensor 4 viamonitor portion 5 and indicating the temperature in the casing of harddisk device 1. More specifically, control portion 10 at step S21 waitsuntil the DVD recorder is powered on. When the DVD recorder is poweredon, control portion 10 proceeds to step S22 to determine whethertemperature T sensed by temperature sensor 4 is at least 50° C. and ifso then control portion 10 proceeds to step S23 to turn on cooling fan 9to start to send air to a heat generating portion. If temperature Tsensed is lower than 50° C. then control portion 10 proceeds to step S24to turn off cooling fan device 9 to stop sending air to the heatgenerating portion.

Then at step at S25 control portion 10 determines whether temperature Tsensed by temperature sensor 4 is at least 60° C. If temperature Tsensed is lower than 60° C. control portion 10 returns to step S22. Iftemperature T sensed is at least 60° C. then control portion 10determines that cooling fan device 9 or the like has a defect, andcontrol portion 10 proceeds to step S26 to inform the user by an audiblealarm, an alarming lamp or the like that the DVD recorder hasabnormality. The user determines that the DVD recorder has a defect, andstops using the recorder and requests a distributer or the like torepair it.

Then at step S27 control portion 10 determines whether temperature Tsensed by temperature sensor 4 is at least 65° C. If temperature T islower than 65° C. control portion 10 returns to step S22. If temperatureT is at least 65° C. control portion 10 determines that the user is notaware of the audible alarm or the like and control portion 10 proceedsto step S28 to power off the DVD recorder.

The second embodiment can also provide the same effect as the firstembodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for illustrating an exemplary variation of thesecond embodiment. The FIG. 6 flows chart differs from the FIG. 5 flowchart in that steps S22-S24 are removed and after step S21 step S21 a isadded. In this exemplary variation if at step S21 a power supply isturned on then cooling fan device 9 is turned on regardless oftemperature T sensed by temperature sensor 4. If at step S28 the powersupply is turned off then the power supplied to cooling fan device 9 isalso turned off and cooling fan device 9 is thus stopped. This exemplaryvariation can simplify control by steps S22-S24.

Note that the first and second embodiments have been described with thepresent invention applied to a DVD recorder, it is needless to say thatthe present invention is also applicable to any informationrecording/reproduction apparatuses that employ an exchangeable storagemedium and an incorporated hard disk device to record/reproduceinformation, such as personal computers. The exchangeable storage mediumis not limited to an optical disk; it may be a large-capacitysemiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or video tape.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated indetail, it is clearly understood that the same is by way of illustrationand example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation, the spiritand scope of the present invention being limited only by the terms ofthe appended claims.

1. An information recording/reproduction apparatus employing anexchangeable optical disk and an incorporated hard disk device torecord/reproduce information, said hard disk device including an opticaldisk, a first write/read portion writing/reading a data signal to/fromsaid optical disk, a temperature sensor sensing temperature in a casingof said hard disk device, and a monitor portion outputting a firstsignal indicating a result of sensing by said temperature sensor and asecond signal indicating how many times writing said data signal isretried, the information recording/reproduction apparatus comprising: asecond write/read portion writing/reading a data signal to/from saidoptical disk; a cooling fan device for cooling an interior of a casingof the information recording/reproduction apparatus; and a controlportion receiving said first and second signals output from said harddisk device to drive said cooling fan device when said second signalindicates that writing said data signal is retried more than apredetermined number of times after said first signal indicates atemperature exceeding a predetermined temperature.
 2. An informationrecording/reproduction apparatus employing an exchangeable storagemedium and an incorporated hard disk device to record/reproduceinformation, said hard disk device outputting a first signal indicatinga result of sensing by a temperature sensor incorporated therein, theinformation recording/reproduction apparatus comprising: a cooling fandevice for cooling an interior of a casing of the informationrecording/reproduction apparatus; and a control portion controlling saidcooling fan device in response to said first signal output from saidhard disk device.
 3. The information recording/reproduction apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein said control portion drives said coolingfan device when said first signal indicates a temperature exceeding apredetermined temperature.
 4. The information recording/reproductionapparatus according to claim 2, wherein: said hard disk device furtheroutputs a second signal indicating how many times writing said datasignal is retried; and said control portion drives said cooling fandevice when said second signal indicates that writing said data signalis retried more than a predetermined number of times after said firstsignal indicates a temperature exceeding a predetermined temperature. 5.The information recording/reproduction apparatus according to claim 2,wherein: when said first signal indicates a temperature exceeding apredetermined first temperature, said control portion drives saidcooling fan device; when said first signal indicates a temperatureexceeding a second temperature higher than said first temperature, saidcontrol portion informs a user that the informationrecording/reproduction apparatus has abnormality; and when said firstsignal indicates a temperature exceeding a third temperature higher thansaid second temperature, control portion powers off the informationrecording/reproduction apparatus.
 6. The informationrecording/reproduction apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: when theinformation recording/reproduction apparatus is powered on, said controlportion responsively drives said cooling fan device; when said firstsignal indicates a temperature exceeding a predetermined, firsttemperature, said control portion informs a user that the informationrecording/reproduction apparatus has abnormality; and when said firstsignal indicates a temperature exceeding a second temperature higherthan said first temperature, control portion powers off the informationrecording/reproduction apparatus.